Back to Search Start Over

Revealing Further Insights into Astringent Seeds of Chinese Fir by Integrated Metabolomic and Lipidomic Analyses

Authors :
Ping Zheng
Mengqian Shen
Ruoyu Liu
Xinkai Cai
Jinting Lin
Lulu Wang
Yu Chen
Guangwei Chen
Shijiang Cao
Yuan Qin
Source :
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Vol 24, Iss 20, p 15103 (2023)
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2023.

Abstract

Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.) stands as one of the pivotal afforestation tree species and timber resources in southern China. Nevertheless, the occurrence of seed abortion and a notably high proportion of astringent seeds significantly curtail the yield and quality of elite seeds, resulting in substantial economic losses. The development of astringent seeds is accompanied by significant physiological and biochemical alterations. Here, the first combined lipidomic and metabolomic analysis was performed to gain a comprehensive understanding of astringent seed traits. A total of 744 metabolites and 616 lipids were detected, of which 489 differential metabolites and 101 differential lipids were identified. In astringent seeds, most flavonoids and tannins, as well as proline and γ-aminobutyric acid, were more accumulated, along with a notable decrease in lipid unsaturation, indicating oxidative stress in the cells of astringent seeds. Conversely, numerous elemental metabolites were less accumulated, including amino acids and their derivatives, saccharides and alcohols, organic acids and nucleotides and their derivatives. Meanwhile, most lipid subclasses, mainly associated with energy storage (triglyceride and diglyceride) and cell membrane composition (phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine), also exhibited significant reductions. These results reflected a disruption in the cellular system or the occurrence of cell death, causing a reduction in viable cells within astringent seeds. Furthermore, only one lipid subclass, sphingosine phosphate (SoP), was more accumulated in astringent seeds. Additionally, lower accumulation of indole-3-acetic acid and more accumulation of salicylic acid (SA) were also identified in astringent seeds. Both SA and SoP were closely associated with the promotion of programmed cell death in astringent seeds. Collectively, our study revealed significant abnormal changes in phytohormones, lipids and various metabolites in astringent seeds, allowing us to propose a model for the development of astringent seeds in Chinese fir based on existing research and our findings. This work enriches our comprehension of astringent seeds and presents valuable bioindicators for the identification of astringent seeds.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
24201510, 14220067, and 16616596
Volume :
24
Issue :
20
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.bfbe9bcf1b349d2800b12f659527ec3
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242015103